Franco Colapinto at Formula 1: Live Updates from Qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg

Qualification Testing Begins in Austria

At 11 AM Argentina time, qualification testing started to determine the starting order for the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, which will take place this Sunday. Argentinian driver Franco Colapinto is looking to improve his performance from the free practice sessions, where he finished 19th in his Alpine.

This competition is the 11th race of the season and takes place at the Red Bull Ring, which is 4,326 meters long. George Russell won with Mercedes in 2024, in a race where Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured pole position.

The race on Sunday will start at 10 AM Argentina time.

Franco Colapinto’s Status Ahead of the Austrian GP

The driver from Pilar has four races under his belt with Alpine, and Austria could be his last, considering that the initial agreement was for five races.

This race will be crucial for his future as a main driver. The goal remains the same: complete the race and aim for points.

During this season, Colapinto achieved 16th place in Italy, 13th in Monaco, 15th in Spain, and finished 13th in Canada.

However, he was not satisfied with the strategy in Montreal, with a team that did not respond quickly when entering the pits and a car that still does not perform to meet basic needs for improvement in performance and competition.

Overview of the Spielberg Circuit

The circuit located in Spielberg is one of the most legendary in the tournament, with an alpine setting and fast curves, featuring a first half of the track with long straights. There are 71 laps, and Max Verstappen holds the record for 4 victories on this track.

The monument to Niki Lauda watches every inch of the race. The Austrian driver stated that the Austrian GP of 1984, one of the years he became champion, “was one of the most exciting and decisive moments” of his career.

Norris is the Fastest

The session winner, just like in free practice 2, was once again Norris with a time of 1:04.324. His teammate at McLaren, the Australian and championship leader Oscar Piastri, finished second, just 118 thousandths behind. The third position was taken by the Dutchman and four-time world champion, Max Verstappen, who finished 210 thousandths off the leader in his best lap.

Activity at the Austrian GP will continue in a few hours, with qualification starting at 11 AM.

19th Place for Colapinto

Colapinto was unable to have a successful outing in free practice 3 of the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, finishing 19th.

The best time for the Argentinian racing for the French team Alpine was 1:05.546, meaning he finished one second and 222 thousandths behind the session winner, British Lando Norris (McLaren).

For much of the session, the Argentinian remained in last place. However, towards the end, he was able to put in a few laps on soft tires and significantly improved his time, even finishing just 180 thousandths behind his teammate, the Frenchman Pierre Gasly, who ended 17th.

In his final attempt at a fast lap, the Argentinian gave a scare to all his fans, as he spun in one of the curves, though fortunately, it did not escalate, and his car sustained no damage.

This Austrian Grand Prix is not proving to be good for Alpine drivers, who will need to significantly improve their times if they want to qualify for Q2 during the qualification.

Colapinto Faces Another Challenging Day with Alpine

Franco Colapinto had another tough Friday in Formula 1. As in previous races, the Argentinian’s Alpine was slow and unruly on the fast straights of the Red Bull Ring, leaving him far from the front positions. He finished sixteenth in the first session and twentieth in the second, although he showed a good pace in the race simulation he conducted on hard tires.